Kier wins new style £40m Highways England contract

Highways England has awarded Kier Highways a £40m contract as part of new delivery arrangements in the South West.

The contract will run for up to five years and focus on design, with Kier taking design briefs and turning them into ‘well-defined packages of work’.

It is the first of a number of asset delivery contracts in region, which will see the Government-owned company changing its way of working to take direct responsibility for managing both routine maintenance and the delivery of capital renewal and improvement schemes.

Highways England said this will ultimately ensure the smooth functioning of its South West major roads and that this and future contracts will allow it to directly engage with its supply chain, to drive down cost and waste, whilst providing the best possible value for money for taxpayers, and service for its customers.

David Poole, executive director for commercial and procurement at Highways England, said, ‘This contract not only builds on the new way of working already taking place in the East Midlands and North of England but also demonstrates our ongoing commitment to increasing Highways England’s capability and control over the whole road network.’

Dave Wright, executive director, Kier Highways, added, ‘This award is testament to the expertise we’ve provided through our design services work in Area 7 and we are pleased to be continuing to support Highways England in its new approach.

‘Collaboration for both clients and suppliers is at the heart of our business and this new approach allows us to continue our successful relationship with Highways England.’

Duties under the contract will include preparing technical designs and undertaking supporting work for capital renewal as well as designing briefs to repair major roads and get them running as normal after incidents.

Future awards will include a range of suppliers being appointed in April to the new framework for delivering construction works and a contract will be awarded in March for the maintenance and response contract, both of which will help to deliver the designs provided by Kier Highways.